Laundering composition



United States Patent 3,177,149 LAUNDERING COMPOSITION Donald C. Wood and Richard C. Davis, St. Joseph, Mich., assignors to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Filed July 12, 1%0, Ser. No. 42,214 2 Claims. (Cl. 252-453) This invention relates to a laundering composition particularly adapted for laundering woolens.

The laundering of woolens under conditions common in the art produces fabric shrinkages of two different types. The first type is relaxation shrinkage. Relaxation shrinkage is defined as the shrinkage realized in a fabric dueto the removal of stresses and strains imparted to the fabric during weaving, knitting or the finishing operations. The blocking or stretching of a wet woolen fabric over a form as to a desired set of dimensions previous to drying is a prime cause of relaxation shrinkage. The stretched dimension of the woolen fabric is constant only so long as the wool remains dry.

The second type of shrinkage encountered in the laundering of woolens is felting shrinkage. Whereas relaxation shrinkage can be recovered by stretching or blocking, felting shrinkage is irreversible and is, therefore, the more critical of the two types of shrinkage. The causes of felting are well understood in the art.

The invention hereafter described relates to a method of laundering woolens without resultant felting shrinking.

A feature of this invention therefore is to provide an improved laundering composition particularly adapted for laundering woolens.

A further feature of the invention is to provide such a composition comprising a non-ionic surface active agent and an amine that is either an aliphatic amine, an alkanolamine, an aliphatic ether of an alkanolamine or an aromatic ether of an alkanolamine together with a lubricant for the woolen fibers.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description. The composition of this invention comprises basically a non-ionic surface active agent, an amine as specified above and a lubricant for the woolen fibers. The preferred amounts are about 5-2-0 parts of the surface active agent and about 2-30 parts of the amine. The amount of lubricant can be any desired amount to give resiliency and a soft feel. to. the fabric and this amount is well understood by those skilled in the art. In general, however, the amount of lubricant will vary between 0.7-20 parts. All parts, percentages and proportions herein are by weight.

The preferred amine is an alkanolamine with the alkyl radical being of relatively low molecular weight, preferably of 26 carbon atoms. Typical alkanolamines are monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, N- methylethanolamine, N-methyl diethanolamine, dimethyl ethanolamine, N,N-diethyl ethanolamine, N-butyl ethanolamine, N,N-dibutyl ethanolamine, N,N-diisopropyl ethanolamine, N-amino-ethyl ethanolamine, N-ethyl diethanolamine, benzyl dimethylamine, dimethylamine, phenyl ethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine, mixed isopropanolamines, dibutyl isopropanolamine, morpholine, N-methyl morpholine, N-(2-hydroxyethyl) morpholine, 2,6-dimethyl morpholine, N- ethyl morpholine, N-aminopropyl morpholine, N-aminoethyl morpholine and cyclic amines such as piperazine derivatives.

The following types of surfactants can be used in this composition:

(1) Anionic surfactants:

(l) Carboxylic acids (2) Sulfuric esters (3) Alkanesulfonates (4) Alkylarylsulfonates (5) Mahogany and petroleum sulfonates (6) Phosphorus compounds (7) Other sulfur containing acids (8) Anionic rosin derivatives (9) Lignin derivatives (2) Cationic surfactants:

(l) Non-quaternary nitrogen bases (2) Quaternary nitrogen bases (3) Other bases such as sulfonium compounds (3) Other non-ionics:

(l) Polyethenoxy surfactants (2) Hydrophilic intermediates (3) Polyhydroxy nonionic surfactants (4) Ampholytic surfactants (4) New types:

( 1) Organo-silicon compounds (2) Phosphorus compounds (3) Highly fluorinated compounds (4) Sulfoxides (5) Polymeric surfactants The preferred surface active agent includes the reactiOn product of an aliphatic alcohol and an alkylene oxide, particularly either ethylene oxide or propylene oxide. Excellent surface active agents are those that are the reaction product of about 2-20 mols of alkylene oxide per mol of aliphatic alcohol. The type ofsurface active agent that has been found particularly desirable i-s Siponic BC made by American Alcolac Company and comprises the reaction product of a mixture of ethylhexyl, tridecyl and isohexadecyl alcohols containing 2-20 mols of ethylene oxide per mol of the alcohol.

The lubricant for the wool fibers is used to make the fibers resilient and lively and to produce a good feel. Typical lubricants are fatty or oily materials such as lanolin, lanolin derivatives, mineral oil, fatty alcohols, polyoxyalkylene glycols, protein derivatives, fatty acid glycerides and the like.

The laundering composition is preferably in the form of a water dispersion of ingredients. The term dispersion herein is intended to include both dissolved materials and multimolecular dispersions.

In order to disperse efficiently the water insoluble ingredients such as the lubricant a dispersing agent is used. These may be any of the well known types and an excellent example is glycerol monostearate because it is an excellent emulsifier for a wide variety of water insoluble materials. A polyglycol is also preferably used as it with the amine compound operates as a softener for the wool fibers.

Although not necessary, the composition also preferably contains a moth proofing agent which will then be automatically deposited on the wool during the laundering. Such a moth proofing agent is sodium pentachlorodihydroxytriphenylmethanesulfonate.

The composition also preferably contains an optical dye which is now widely used to brighten fabrics. Typical optical dyes are disclosed in the Colour Index under the heading Brightening Agents. The optical dye used in this invention may be any one of those disclosed in the Colour Index or mixture of two or more of any of those'discussed therein. Certain of these dyes are disclosed in the publication Soap and Chemical Specialties for August 1956 beginning at page 3. These include Tinopal RES, Tinopal RES 200, Tinopal GS, Tinopal SP and Tinopal 4BM Concentrate. The preferred brightener is a stilbene triazine derivative having the structuralformula shown at (A) in FIG. 1 on page 4 of the above publication. 7

A typical laundering composition formula is the following.

In addition a moth proofing agent such as the above described agent may be used in an amount such as 0.1. part in the above total of parts.

An optical dye such as the i stilbene triazine derivative given at (A) in FIG. 1 on page 4 of the above publication may also be used in any composition used in the above laundering of the woolen sweater.

Example II In the following example all ingredients except the water are mixed in a container by stirring and then the water is added last and stirred. The mixing may be done at ordinary room temperature. 7

. Parts Siponic BC 10 Light mineral oil 20 Mixed C and C alcohols -4 10 Decyl alcohol with712 mols ofethyleneoxide 6 Tr-iethanolamine 2 Water to make a total of 100 parts.

In the above formula of Example 11, the emulsifier may be used in an amount between 5 and 20parts while all other ingredients except the water may be used in amounts between .05. and 20 parts, r 7

All amounts herein are by weight.

Having described our invention as related to the embodimentsset out herein,it is our intentionthat the invention be'not limitedby any of the details of description, unless otherwise specified, but-rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims. r I

The; embodiments of the invention in which anexclusive property or privilege. is. claimed are defined as follows: 7 i

1. A laundering composition particularly adapted for laundering woolens, consisting essentially of from about 5-20 parts of a cleansing detergent reaction product of between about 2-20 mols of a memberof the class coning composition any amount desired may be added'to the wash water and an excellent amount has been found to be one ounce per five gallons of water.

Example I In washing a woolen sweater in an ordinary home type washing machine using 130- F. wash water with a high agitation setting, normal cycle, and a five minute wash followed by drying in ahome dryer at hot setting, nor.-

mal speed, the following composition was used'and the;

sweater was found to be completely clean with no discernible felting shrinkage. The formula used is as follows.

Water fraction A: Parts Siponic BC 20.0 Glycerol monostearate 4.0 Triethanolamine 8.0 Polyethylene glycol 4.0

Water to make a total of 100 parts for the entire formula. Oil fraction 13:

- amine, N,N-'diisopropyl'ethanolamine, N-aminoethyl eth- Moth proofing agent ,(as listed above) 0.1 Lanolin 2.0 Light mineral oil 4.0 Optical dye 0.1

sisting of ethylene oxide and propylene oxideper mol of a mixture of ethylhexyl, tridecyl and isohexadecyl alcohols; from about 2-30 parts of an amine member of the class consistingof monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, N-methyl ethanolamine, N-methyl diethanolamine, dimethyl ethanolamine, N,N-diethyl ethanolamine, N-butyl ethanolamine, N,N-dibutyl ethanolanolarnine, N-ethyl diethanolamine, benzyl dimethyl- 'amine, dimethylamine, phenyl ethanolarnine, monoisopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine,: mixed isopropanolamines, dibutyl isopropanolamine, morpholine, N-methyl morpholine, N-(Z-hydroxyethyl) morpholine, 2,6-dirnethyl' morpholine, N-ethyl morpholine,- N aminopropyl morpholine and N-aminoethyl morpholine; and from about 0.7-20 parts of a wool lubricant'member, of the class consisting of fatty and oily lubricants for the wool to make the wool resilient "and lively, saidparts beingby weight of the composition. p p

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein said oxide is ethylene oxide.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,184,147 Lowe Dec. 19, 1939 2,496,631, Leupold Feb. 7, 1950 2,668,127 Ericks'son Feb. 2, 1954 2,806,804 Davis et a1. Sept. 17, 1957 2,810,694 McLean et al.. Oct. 22, 1957 2,826,596 Maher Mar. 11, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Mar. 9', 

1. A LAUNDERING COMPOSITION PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR LAUNDERING WOOLENS, CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF: FROM ABOUT 5-20 PARTS OF A CLEANING DETERGENT REACTIN PRODUCT OF BETWEEN ABOUT 2-20 MOLS OF A MEMBER OF THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE OXIDE AND PROPYLENE OXIDE PER MOL OF A MIXTURE OF ETHYLHEXYL, TRIDECYL AND ISOHEXADECYL ALCOHOLS; FROM ABOUT 2-30 PARTS OF AN AMINE MEMBER OF THE CLASS CONSISTING OF MONOETHANOLAMINE, DIETHANOLAMINE, TRIETHANOLAMINE, N-MEHTYL ETHANOLAMINE, N-METHYL DIETHANOLAMINE,DIMETHYL ETHANOLAMINE, N,N-DIETHYL ETHANOLAMINE, N-BUTYL ETHANOLAMINE, N,N-DUBUTYL ETHANOLAMINE, N,N-DIISOPOPYL ETHANOLAMINE, N-AMINOETHYL ETHANOLAMIEN, N-ETHYL DIETHANOLAMINE, BENZYL DIMETHYLAMINE, DIMETHYLAMINE, PHENYL ETHANOLAMINE, MONOISOPROPANOLAMINE, DIISOPROPANOLAMINE, MIXED ISOPROPANOLAMINES, DIBUTYL ISOPROPANOLAMIE, MORPHOLINE, N-MEHTYL MORPHOLINE, N-(2-HYDROXYETHYL) MORPHOLINE, 2,6-DIMETHYL MORPHOLINE, N-ETHYLMORPHOLINE, N-AMINOPROPYL MORPHOLINE AND N-AMINOETHYLMORPHOLINE; AND FROM ABOUT 0.7-20 PART OF WOOL LUBRICANT MEMBER OF THE CLASS CONSISTING OF FATTY AND OILY LUBRICANTS FOR THE WOOL TO MAKE THE WOOL RESILIENT AND LIVELY, SAID PARTS BEING BY WEIGHT OF THE COMPOSITION. 